The Curse of Cohabitation
by AshleighWrites97
Summary: Tom and B'Elanna are not married. After returning home, they live together as roommates and B'Elanna is about to interview for a deep space placement on the Enterprise. Tom has a plan to make B'Elanna feel better.


**The Curse of Cohabitation**

 **By:** Crusher1701

 **Word Count:**

 **Summary:** AU, Tom and B'Elanna are not married. After returning home, they live together as roommates and B'Elanna is about to interview for a placement on the Enterprise. Tom has a plan to make B'Elanna feel better.

"I've agreed to be your roommate, not your booty call," B'Elanna spat as she entered the San Francisco apartment she was sharing with her now former crewmate, Lieutenant Tom Paris.

"I didn't com you just for sex, I had to ask you something else," he replied, looking shocked that B'Elanna would consider the thought that he would comm her to come home just for sex. He would, but that she could consider he'd do that the day before her interview for an engineering placement on the new Enterprise, really disappointed him.

B'Elanna sighed. "What do you want?" she asked. If Tom didn't just want sex, she would apologize to him for being rude. She had been on edge since Starfleet had told her about the possible appointment on the Enterprise. She didn't know if she really wanted to go out into space so soon after being stranded in the Delta Quadrant, but she knew she may not really have a choice in the matter.

Tom smiled lightly and stood up. "I wanted to ask you if you've actually been sleeping and eating. At night, all I hear is you tossing and turning, and when we're eating, I just see you picking at your food. Is there anything I can do to help?" he asked, hoping B'Elanna would be honest with him. He loved her and couldn't bear to see her waste away like he feared she would. He hoped that after all they had been through, she would allow him to help her. Walking to her, he put his hands on her shoulders, imploring her to make eye contact with him.

Looking into his eyes, B'Elanna shook her head. "I've not been sleeping or eating. I'm so scared. I don't want to tell anyone because they'll think I'm being silly. It's only been a month since we got home, and now they're trying to get me back out there. I can't do it. If it happened once, who's to say that it won't happen again? Tom, the ENterprise is going on a deep space mission and I just can't do that. Not yet," she said, tears coming to her eyes against her will.

Seeing her tears, Tom reached up to brush away the few that had fallen. Klingons didn't cry, which told him that B'Elanna as done being a strong Klingon and at that point in time in time could do nothing but embrace the half-human side of her. "Let me take care of you B'Elanna," Tom whispered, leading her to her bedroom.

Once they were inside, Tom kissed B'Elanna gently. Most of the time when they had sex, it was rough and more Klingon than human. This time, Tom would love her gently, like a human, to let her know that not only was she loved, but that he would protect her from everything that posed a threat to her and her wellbeing.

B'Elanna was somewhat shocked by Tom's moves. She knew that he loved her, but didn't know that he wanted to love her the way he was implying. When his hand moved to the zipper of her uniform tunic, it froze and he looked into her eyes, waiting for her to allow him to undress her. When she nodded, he smiled and slowly slid the zipper down.

Tom knelt down and slid B'Elanna's boots off her feet. Standing up again, he pulled her uniform off and tossed it aside, leaving her in her t-shirt, socks, and underwear. He pulled her t-shirt off and smiled at the sight of the woman he loved in actual lingerie rather than those horrible Starfleet issued undergarments. Tom far preferred the sexy red to a bland grey (not that she wasn't beautiful in those horrid things, but still), and he couldn't help but touch her bra to make sure it was real. Upon discovery that it was, he smiled broadly.

"Were you expecting my comm?" he asked, reaching around to unclasp her bra. As it fell away, she chuckled.

"Yes and no. I know that you can barely go a shift without comming me and telling me that you want sex, but also, I hate those issued undergarments just as much as you do. Since I'm not a Maquis anymore, I needed something new to rebel against," she replied, kissing him as he picked her up to lay her on the bed.

"They don't make sense to me. How are your superiors supposed to know if you're wearing the 'proper' undergarments? And if you were in a relationship with a superior that would allow them to see, don't you think they'd rather see something sexier than the issued undergarments?" he asked.

"I wouldn't know Tom. I'm not in the habit of asking ensigns and junior lieutenants if I can see their underwear," she replied.

"Fair point," he replied, pulling the panties down her legs and throwing them aside. B'Elanna reached up and took Tom's hands.

"You're overdressed Tom," she whispered. Tom smiled and shifted his hands so he was holding hers and moving her hands to the bottom of his tunic.

"Why don't you rectify that problem?" he asked. B'Elanna grinned brightly and pulled the tunic up and over his head, throwing it to the floor. Doing the same to his shirt, she smiled at the sight of his chest. She pushed his trousers and underwear down his legs. Once they were at his knees, Tom shifted to remove his boots and socks before kicking his clothes off.

Climbing on top of B'Elanna, he roughly pressed his lips to hers, poking her lips with his tongue. B'Elanna opened her mouth and gently nipped his tongue, making him gasp in a mix of pain and pleasure. The pair's tongues clashed with each other's for dominance.

B'Elanna flipped the two of them, putting her on top of Tom, her confidence returning to her. Tom broke their kiss and put his hands on her hips, helping her on top of him so they could finally be done with the foreplay. "I love you B'Elanna Torres," he whispered as he entered her.

"I love you too, Tom Paris," she whispered. "Thank you, and feel free to make me your booty call anytime."

"How about something even better than being each other's booty calls?" he asked, thrusting into her.

"What did you have in mind?" she asked, leaning down to kiss him, staying close to him.

"Marry me?" Tom asked. B'Elanna looked into his eyes and saw his undying love and devotion to her and she nodded. Tom smiled brightly and B'Elanna kissed him roughly, biting his lip and tasting his blood.

Later when they were laying in each other's arms, B'Elanna had time to think. From roommate/booty call to fiancée in one day, her confidence was restored, and she no longer had to worry about the future. And maybe cohabitating with Tom wasn't a curse as she had originally thought it would be. They were simply meant to be.

finis.


End file.
